“By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept” – these words from Ps 137 keep coming to mind (I am desperately trying to resist the tune from Boney M!). It speaks to me of profound sadness that I feel at the moment with the way things are, just as the people of God experienced an even deeper sadness going into exile. There are other experiences that we have in common with the exiles. In the overthrow of Judah and Jerusalem many would have died, so we too are lamenting those we have lost to Covid. They had lost their temple, so we too have lost our ‘normal’ worship. They had lost their culture, to a large extent so have we. They had lost their leaders; our national leaders are struggling. Materially they had lost everything, many in our communities are losing their jobs. They were disorientated and discombobulated – and so are many of us. <span style="font-size: 1rem;">And so, lament we should and we shouldn’t rush that. But the Exiles then did some deep theological reflection, going back to the scriptures as they were then, leading to spiritual renewal. How will our own theological reflection and spiritual renewal echo that of the exiles? </span>I have recently heard some drawing on Jeremiah’s letter to the exiles (Jer 29). For me, I will be turning to the Psalms. The fifth book of the Psalms from Ps 107 seems to be put together for those in exile. I won’t give it all away, but to give you a taster - Psalms 120-134 are the songs of ascent – sung by the pilgrim people of God as they approach Jerusalem to worship at the temple, culminating with the two hallelujah psalms 135 & 136. And then crisis – Ps 137. But Psalms 138 resolves the crisis by going back to David and we are reminded that the temple was for his Name but he dwells in the heavens, and he is sovereign over all the nations, not least Babylon. Psalm 139 reminds us that Temple or no Temple, there is no place we can go where God is not present and he watches over us. What rich truths came out of the exile! (For more on this, see http://bit.ly/exilicpsalms) <span style="font-size: 1rem;">My prayer is that in this crisis, in all the demands laid upon us, we might carve out the time to turn to God, to really spend time with him, to lament and do the deep theological reflection that in time, we might know spiritual renewal. </span>Peter Harwood
The Cranleigh Branch of the Rotary are carrying out the Shoebox Appeal this year. There is a contingency for Covid-19 circumstances. Although it is a pleasure to pack your own shoebox, we understand how difficult it may be to go shopping for wrapping paper and contents. The Rotary are suggesting a financial donation of £5 to get boxes made up for the children of Romania. So that would be a good way to do it. I, with a group of volunteers will also do this for you in Hascombe and Dunsfold. You may already have surplus items like toiletries, small games, hats that you had made ready... Bring them along to me with a shoebox and we will make it up for you. Any queries please ring me on 200048. Leaflets are available if required. Now for the crunch...we need to get going as soon as possible and we need to collect them together by November 10th at the latest Thank you on behalf of all those waiting to receive your wonderful gift. Susie Maslin, The Rectory, Dunsfold
It was a challenge I set myself as a young adult – to learn Romans chapter 8 by heart. Compared with the old Jewish practice of learning the whole Pentateuch (or the Muslim memorisation of the Koran) it should have been a stroll in the park, though it still took this bear-of-little-brain a while to achieve it. But even now, those rolling phrases from that great chapter frequently come to mind just when I need them: ‘There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus’. ‘And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his good purpose’. ‘If God is for us, who can be against us?’ Christian hope is at the heart of this chapter – not some false cheerfulness or mindless optimism, but a hope that is set against the darkest backdrop of suffering and persecution, and is inextricably linked with the life, death and resurrection of God’s Son and the coming of His Spirit. There is plenty of groaning along the way: the whole creation is groaning, we are groaning, the Spirit is groaning – but groaning ‘as in the pains of childbirth’, the image itself speaking of wonderful and unimaginable things to come. And following the great series of rhetorical questions at the end of the chapter, we come to the most moving verses of all, which I intoned, through the tears, at my own father’s funeral a year ago on Sunday: ‘For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future nor any powers, neither height nor depth nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord’. Let’s never settle for a bargain-basement hope, the ‘Peace, Peace, where there is no peace’, which is always a feature of false prophecy. Let’s continue to be nourished by the hope of Romans 8, with all its frustration and its groanings and with its roots deeply embedded in the amazing grace of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.Bishop Andrew
